The present invention relates to a new and improved arrangement for starting a position regulator of a grinding wheel support or carrier and, in particular, relates to an improved arrangement or apparatus for regulating the start-up of a position-regulated grinding wheel support.
Generally speaking, the inventive arrangement for start-up of a positon regulator of a grinding wheel support or carrier contemplates the provision of a linear motor which does not possess any self-locking action and moves the grinding wheel support out of its rest position non-horizontally, and such movement can be detected by a position measuring system connected with the position regulator.
The grinding wheel supports or carriers of gear grinding machines move, during the grinding operation, in a non-horizontal guide up and down by virtue of the driving action of a linear motor. Such linear motors are generally hydraulic motors which are powered by a controllable pressure or pressurized oil pump. If the grinding wheel support is in its rest position, either because the machine has been turned-off or because it is located in a preparatory phase prior to the actual grinding operation, then the linear motor is not pressurized, and consequently, because it does not have any self-locking action it must be retained in its rest position. During the grinding operation there is then regulated the movement of the grinding wheel support by means of a position regulator, so that there can be maintained exact reversal points during the grinding mode.
The transition from the rest position into the position regulating mode must be accomplished such that the grinding wheel support does not perform any undesired movements. This means that the actual position regulation of the grinding wheel support first can begin when there is present the output power of the linear motor needed for taking-up the load by the linear motor, in other words, after there has been built-up the oil pressure needed for taking-up the load when using a hydraulic linear motor, something which requires a certain amount of time after turning-on the pump operatively associated with the linear motor. The oil pressure needed for this purpose is only approximately known and is dependent upon the variable inclined position of the grinding wheel support guides. A pressure control for the initiation of the actual position regulation operation or mode therefore would be complicated and inaccurate.